Raider Nation reacts to Raiders’ plans to move to Las Vegas

The Oakland Raiders played the Indianapolis Colts in the final home game of the 2016 NFL regular season. Photo by Jeff Weisinger

When the National Football League’s 32 owners voted in late March to approve the Raiders’ proposed move to Las Vegas, the organization’s fan base experienced heartbreak.

“I knew the vote was coming, but I believed that the NFL wasn’t going to really say yes,” says local Bay Area comedian and die-hard Raider fan Sean Reddy. “But the day before the vote, there were reports that owners are voting yes.”

The 32 NFL owners voted “yes” 31-1 to approve the Raiders’ relocation to Vegas. The owners of the Miami Dolphins were the lone “no” vote. Only 24 votes were needed to approve the relocation.

The Raiders are expected to begin playing in their new home in Las Vegas in the 2020 NFL season. While they are expected to play in Oakland for the next two or three years, they could also opt out of their deal to stay in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum after next season.